Crap but loveable cars you have owned...
Discussion
What cars that you have owned (excluding first cars because everyone loves their first car no matter how bad it is) weren`t very good but for some reason you loved them anyway.
This thread was inspired by another PHer who said of his Alfa Spider that it had Golf TDi performance and Ferrari running costs but I got the impression that he loved it anyway!
Mine was a 205 GTi 1.6 (my first quickish car). Just to clarify, 205 GTis are awesome but not necessarily when they`re 11 years old with 150k! I sold a perfectly decent (but dull) Astra which was 4 years newer and had done half the mileage to get this car. When I got it, the exhaust was blowing (never really fully fixed that problem), indicators didn`t work, sunroof leaked, gearbox and rear suspension were knackered. The engine was also a bit smoky and it idled roughly. It wasn`t that quick really and was probably a bit of a death trap but it was in good shape cosmetically, nevertheless, I kept it for 18 months and put on another 20,000 miles and loved every minute of it!
Have owned other crap cars but this was the only one that I loved! What`s yours.
This thread was inspired by another PHer who said of his Alfa Spider that it had Golf TDi performance and Ferrari running costs but I got the impression that he loved it anyway!
Mine was a 205 GTi 1.6 (my first quickish car). Just to clarify, 205 GTis are awesome but not necessarily when they`re 11 years old with 150k! I sold a perfectly decent (but dull) Astra which was 4 years newer and had done half the mileage to get this car. When I got it, the exhaust was blowing (never really fully fixed that problem), indicators didn`t work, sunroof leaked, gearbox and rear suspension were knackered. The engine was also a bit smoky and it idled roughly. It wasn`t that quick really and was probably a bit of a death trap but it was in good shape cosmetically, nevertheless, I kept it for 18 months and put on another 20,000 miles and loved every minute of it!
Have owned other crap cars but this was the only one that I loved! What`s yours.
Nissan Micra K11. It was terrible, it was three shades of red, with lacquer peeling off various parts, some of the interior wasn't there and it was generally laughable.
But it had an honest charm about it, it was just so crap it was enjoyable. The handling was dreadful though, a mix of worn suspension components and four completely different budget tyres with varying tread depths didn't help. I threw it into a corner enthusiastically and it pretty much went in every direction except the one I intended it too!
It wasn't as slow as you'd expect it to be either, the 1.3 16v engine felt quite eager.
But it had an honest charm about it, it was just so crap it was enjoyable. The handling was dreadful though, a mix of worn suspension components and four completely different budget tyres with varying tread depths didn't help. I threw it into a corner enthusiastically and it pretty much went in every direction except the one I intended it too!
It wasn't as slow as you'd expect it to be either, the 1.3 16v engine felt quite eager.
W reg Nissan Almera. Paid 800 quid for it in 2009 and ran it for about 18 months on a shoestring. It was covered in bumps and bruises including a huge dent in the roof. My missus hated it at first, but we all grew so fond of it that we kept it. Even at 10 years old it seemed indestructible. Only sold due to leaving the country. Got most of my 800 quid back too. I love sheds, and this is my favorite one to date.
VW Mk3 Polo GT coupe.
Bodywork was pink and rotten, but it was dirt cheap, pennies to insure and didn't use much fuel. It had 75 rampaging horses in its 750kg-ish shell, so it was quite 'nippy'.
The doors wouldn't lock properly, I often parked it at my girlfriends in a not so nice part of Stockton, no one even wanted to steal it, it was that crap.
It had aftermarket springs and dampers on it, which combined with ditch finder tyres made it a laugh on corners without doing law breaking speeds.
It eventually died when the gearbox completely shat itself. Probably didn't help that I thrashed it everywhere.
Bodywork was pink and rotten, but it was dirt cheap, pennies to insure and didn't use much fuel. It had 75 rampaging horses in its 750kg-ish shell, so it was quite 'nippy'.
The doors wouldn't lock properly, I often parked it at my girlfriends in a not so nice part of Stockton, no one even wanted to steal it, it was that crap.
It had aftermarket springs and dampers on it, which combined with ditch finder tyres made it a laugh on corners without doing law breaking speeds.
It eventually died when the gearbox completely shat itself. Probably didn't help that I thrashed it everywhere.
white_goodman said:
What cars that you have owned (excluding first cars because everyone loves their first car no matter how bad it is) weren`t very good but for some reason you loved them anyway.
This thread was inspired by another PHer who said of his Alfa Spider that it had Golf TDi performance and Ferrari running costs but I got the impression that he loved it anyway!
Mine was a 205 GTi 1.6 (my first quickish car). Just to clarify, 205 GTis are awesome but not necessarily when they`re 11 years old with 150k! I sold a perfectly decent (but dull) Astra which was 4 years newer and had done half the mileage to get this car. When I got it, the exhaust was blowing (never really fully fixed that problem), indicators didn`t work, sunroof leaked, gearbox and rear suspension were knackered. The engine was also a bit smoky and it idled roughly. It wasn`t that quick really and was probably a bit of a death trap but it was in good shape cosmetically, nevertheless, I kept it for 18 months and put on another 20,000 miles and loved every minute of it!
Have owned other crap cars but this was the only one that I loved! What`s yours.
Snap! My first car in 1996 was an '86 205 Git. I didn't know what I was buying or how to spot a dud car at the time - it just looked nice and was in budget!This thread was inspired by another PHer who said of his Alfa Spider that it had Golf TDi performance and Ferrari running costs but I got the impression that he loved it anyway!
Mine was a 205 GTi 1.6 (my first quickish car). Just to clarify, 205 GTis are awesome but not necessarily when they`re 11 years old with 150k! I sold a perfectly decent (but dull) Astra which was 4 years newer and had done half the mileage to get this car. When I got it, the exhaust was blowing (never really fully fixed that problem), indicators didn`t work, sunroof leaked, gearbox and rear suspension were knackered. The engine was also a bit smoky and it idled roughly. It wasn`t that quick really and was probably a bit of a death trap but it was in good shape cosmetically, nevertheless, I kept it for 18 months and put on another 20,000 miles and loved every minute of it!
Have owned other crap cars but this was the only one that I loved! What`s yours.
It was a howler, but slowly over the next 3 years I spent and fiddled and spent and fiddled and she got there in the end.
Meanwhile, however, in the times between the faults - it taught me everything a young hooligan petrolhead needed to learn, in spades
I so miss it, even though it was intriniscally a bit crap!
1985 mazda 626. 230,000km on the clock. People were genuinely scared to light cigarettes close by when it was on choke, and the 2 liter engine mounted to a 3 speed auto did about 15 to the gallon on a good run.
That said, it had cruise control and I did 20,000 km in 6 months before selling it for more than I bought it for. It took me to some wonderful places and down some wonderful roads. Any spares were off the shelf at the local auto-center and life was good.
That said, it had cruise control and I did 20,000 km in 6 months before selling it for more than I bought it for. It took me to some wonderful places and down some wonderful roads. Any spares were off the shelf at the local auto-center and life was good.
My Seicento.
It's cheap as cheaps, its nippy, everything works, it's pretty much immaculate, it's not let me down yet, It goes all round the country and its bright yellow.
I love it. Everyone else thinks its crap
I never want to get out, always going the long way home, 50 mile round trip for some milk is common and at 50mpg it doesn't cost anything!.
I've had BMW's, Saab AERO's, Rallyes all sorts, but the little yellow donkey is still here!
It's cheap as cheaps, its nippy, everything works, it's pretty much immaculate, it's not let me down yet, It goes all round the country and its bright yellow.
I love it. Everyone else thinks its crap
I never want to get out, always going the long way home, 50 mile round trip for some milk is common and at 50mpg it doesn't cost anything!.
I've had BMW's, Saab AERO's, Rallyes all sorts, but the little yellow donkey is still here!
82 Sierra 2.3 Diesel LHD, this was fitted with Peugeots 504 engine a long lasting 60hp slogger. Completely crap car but loved it, battle ship grey with blue interior, no power steering and keep fit windows.
In a years ownership cost me 50p for a bulb! Sold it for £75 and a doner kebeb (with chilli sauce)..
In a years ownership cost me 50p for a bulb! Sold it for £75 and a doner kebeb (with chilli sauce)..
Green Rover 216sli, £500 on M plate, bought around 2005. Had a swimming pool in spare wheel well, demolished a garage door and suffered no more than the rear lip spoiler popping off.(failed to properly apply the handbrake and it rolled back about 40ft before colliding with a neighbours garage. Luckily no one hurt and only the garage door needed replacing) Had it two years almost, was best car I've ever had. That doesn't say much for my Car History 
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